{"id":"01KG8AKAMPYBJNCN30SX0KCH91","cid":"bafkreifv7dbqqwjqmd6i4c3oli53s2jsg5da6hp7mnqdatjo56zfsor6zm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":9217,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:57.726Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG89J1JMR8XVKPA0G8ADAPC4","start_line":9164,"text":"wife, and that's made him shrewish; and Old Prudence, when a boy, broke\r\ndown in an apple-stall, and that discouraged him for life. No better\r\nsport for a knowing spark like me than to hear Old Plain Talk wheeze out\r\nhis sour old saws, while Old Prudence stands by, leaning on his staff,\r\nwagging his frosty old pow, and chiming in at every clause.'\r\n\r\n\"'How can you speak so, friend Orchis, of those who were my father's\r\nfriends?'\"\r\n\r\n\"'Save me from my friends, if those old croakers were Old Honesty's\r\nfriends. I call your father so, for every one used to. Why did they let\r\nhim go in his old age on the town? Why, China Aster, I've often heard\r\nfrom my mother, the chronicler, that those two old fellows, with Old\r\nConscience--as the boys called the crabbed old quaker, that's dead\r\nnow--they three used to go to the poor-house when your father was there,\r\nand get round his bed, and talk to him for all the world as Eliphaz,\r\nBildad, and Zophar did to poor old pauper Job. Yes, Job's comforters\r\nwere Old Plain Talk, and Old Prudence, and Old Conscience, to your poor\r\nold father. Friends? I should like to know who you call foes? With their\r\neverlasting croaking and reproaching they tormented poor Old Honesty,\r\nyour father, to death.'\r\n\r\n\"At these words, recalling the sad end of his worthy parent, China Aster\r\ncould not restrain some tears. Upon which Orchis said: 'Why, China\r\nAster, you are the dolefulest creature. Why don't you, China Aster,\r\ntake a bright view of life? You will never get on in your business or\r\nanything else, if you don't take the bright view of life. It's the\r\nruination of a man to take the dismal one.' Then, gayly poking at him\r\nwith his gold-headed cane, 'Why don't you, then? Why don't you be bright\r\nand hopeful, like me? Why don't you have confidence, China Aster?\r\n\r\n\"I'm sure I don't know, friend Orchis,' soberly replied China Aster,\r\n'but may be my not having drawn a lottery-prize, like you, may make some\r\ndifference.'\r\n\r\n\"Nonsense! before I knew anything about the prize I was gay as a lark,\r\njust as gay as I am now. In fact, it has always been a principle with me\r\nto hold to the bright view.'\r\n\r\n\"Upon this, China Aster looked a little hard at Orchis, because the\r\ntruth was, that until the lucky prize came to him, Orchis had gone under\r\nthe nickname of Doleful Dumps, he having been beforetimes of a\r\nhypochondriac turn, so much so as to save up and put by a few dollars of\r\nhis scanty earnings against that rainy day he used to groan so much\r\nabout.\r\n\r\n\"I tell you what it is, now, friend China Aster,' said Orchis, pointing\r\ndown to the check under the stone, and then slapping his pocket, 'the\r\ncheck shall lie there if you say so, but your note shan't keep it\r\ncompany. In fact, China Aster, I am too sincerely your friend to take\r\nadvantage of a passing fit of the blues in you. You _shall_ reap the\r\nbenefit of my friendship.' With which, buttoning up his coat in a\r\njiffy, away he ran, leaving the check behind.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJNPWB4PV4EMCJY73T33E","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JMR8XVKPA0G8ADAPC4","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKAMPFBDZ4F4QB4M7R9Y8","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKAMT149RTEFAPZDPZKYS","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:00.662Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:14.179Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}